It’s easy to look at a candy bar, ice cream or cake and see the word sugar written all over it. The side effects are easily felt; especially, if too much is consumed but when it comes to fresh fruit, yogurt or a glass of apple juice; the sugar content isn’t as easily detectable.

Today, the average sugar intake in the U.S. is 22 teaspoons per person per day, which is

four times the amount that the World Health Organization suggests is healthy. Eating too much sugar is linked to a laundry list of negative health effects, including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.”

It’s no secret that sugar is easily available on every street corner and is in the cabinets of many homes here in America. But the real question is how can we find balance? When we go to the store and the Ice cream is on sale how can we say no and walk away?

The difference between natural and processed or refined sugar:

Processed/refined sugar is scientifically referred to as sucrose. It is derived from cane sugar or beet sugar. It isn’t completely deprived of its nutrients but there are added chemicals that raise blood sugar levels faster that cause more energy/hunger swings.

“Regarding ‘natural’ sugar, all plants produce sugar as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Fruits and vegetables have sugar in the form of fructose, which is broken down more slowly by the body than sucrose. In addition, fruits and veggies boast vitamins and minerals also have fiber to slow down the digestion of their natural sugars, which leads to more stable blood sugar levels.”

It is very important to know the difference between the two. The real thing to note is that processed and refined sugars do absolutely nothing for your body. They don’t have a significant amount (if any) nutrients and nothing about them ensures a healthier state of being.

6 Signs that you’re eating too much sugar:
Increased Acne

Breaking out a little more than usual? One of the symptoms of eating too much sugar is increased acne. There was a study done in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics where participants that had more acne had higher sugar intake than the people with little to mild acne.